Prayer Changes Everything - Ep. 220

In this episode of The John Grdina Classroom, a life faith podcast built on faith, family, fitness, and freedom, John shares a personal self-improvement practice that transformed his mornings: praying before checking email, social media, or the news — the same discipline Jesus modeled when He rose "a great while before day" to pray (Mark 1:35). This simple shift in his personal transformation journey has lowered his anxiety and deepened his trust that God works all things together for good. John opens up about journaling with God, finding clarity in his identity, and learning to surrender to God's will rather than chasing selfish desires — echoing Jesus's words in the Our Father, "thy will be done." He then shares a powerful story from a recent 50K ultramarathon with his brother, where he stopped to pray for a struggling runner on the trail, and later prayed through his own physical cramping mid-race. This episode is a raw look at what it means to actually communicate with God instead of trying to control everything ourselves. If you're searching for a faith and family podcast, a Christian parenting podcast, or a fatherhood podcast rooted in real-life application, this episode will challenge you to make God your first call in the storm, not your last resort.00:00 – Welcome back to The John Grdina Classroom00:45 – Why I stopped checking my phone first thing in the morning01:30 – Mark 1:35 — Jesus rising early to pray02:30 – Trusting that all things work together for good03:45 – Journaling with God and finding clarity in who I am05:00 – "Thy will be done" — what true freedom actually means06:30 – The 50K story: praying for a stranger on the trail08:15 – Praying through the pain at mile eighteen09:30 – Who do you reach for when the boat starts rocking?10:15 – Closing prayer and challenge#SelfImprovementPodcast #PersonalTransformation #LifeFaithPodcast #FaithAndFamilyPodcast #ChristianParentingPodcast #FatherhoodPodcast #CatholicMen #MenOfFaith